Teixeira To Sox? Angels? Nats?

According to Ken Rosenthal at foxsports.com, the Angels have all but given up on signing Teixeira -- and that the Nats may make him the highest offer. (Scroll down to 5:41 p.m. on his blog.)

According to mlb.com, the Angels are optimistic they can sign Teixeira.

Raise your hand if you're confused.

I know Dave thinks Tex will end up with the Angels, and some of you agree, but I have had a Red Sox feeling for awhile now and I keep getting mental images of Theo Epstein sticking million dollar bills (is there such a thing?) in Scott Boras's G-string.

There was a lot of Teixeira stuff to wade through this morning, and since it all contradicts itself, I'll just offer this one: The Boston Globe puts the Nats in the same sentence with the Red Sox and Angels. That's progress of some kind, I guess.

Rosenthal also has this tidbit, although by now all of this is devalued since each "reporter" contradicts himself or herself within hours of writing... (except you, Dave).

Interesting that we would be in the market for one of the second-tier closing options. They must think that we'll have some winnable games, which would certainly be a positive development.

"11:48 p.m. — UPDATED: Fuentes' suitors grow

Free-agent left-hander Brian Fuentes is drawing interest from five teams — the Cardinals, Angels, Nats, Brewers and also the Tigers.

The Nationals, a source says, are trying to sign either Mark Teixeira or Manny Ramirez while targeting Fuentes to be their new closer. However, another source suggests that the Nats will not spend heavily on a closer knowing that they are unlikely to contend next season.

Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman are the two major unsigned free-agent closers following the Mets' agreement with Francisco Rodriguez and the Indians' near-agreement with Kerry Wood.

The Angels view Fuentes as a possible replacement for Rodriguez. The Cardinals are looking for a short-term closer, and the Tigers are also in the market for a ninth-inning specialist."

BF and TEX would make the Nats a player on the "big stage". Bringing in Manny would get the Nats 5 extra minutes of weekly coverage over on Redskins Radio and maybe an occasional "shout-out" from Wilpon and Steinbag.